The Secret To Getting A Summer Job (And Why You Should)

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Getting out of school for summer can offer a great opportunity to make a little money. While most students end up rotting away searching the internet, talking to friends, and maybe playing some video games, the brave few will actually head out into the real world and search for a job.

A job over summer can be a great way to make a little cash. Through the school year, you're always going to be limited with the number of hours you can put in but during summer you're going to have a whole lot easier a time trying to make a ton of money.

Unfortunately, in recent years, it's been getting harder and harder for most students to find summer work. It can be easy to let the challenges and apathy take over...

Why You Should Worry About It

Most of the students that “want” to get a job over summer end up spending the whole summer half-assing their attempts. They just fill out applications and hope for the best. A few weeks into summer they might even say, “Screw it, it's too late to get a job anyway.” If that's what you're planning on doing then I couldn't blame you for giving up now. There is no need to waste your time trying to get a job if you really don't care.

There are some real good reasons to care though.

First of all, don't you want to treat yourself to something nice. While parents may have to work their jobs to pay for their family, homes, and bills, most students don't have much to worry about other than themselves. The money you make from a job can often help you buy that new car, or that new outfit, or whatever it is you're dreaming about.

Second, college isn't cheap. If you're going to college then you need to consider saving up a little money to help pay it off. While you can get student loans to pay it off, loans end up costing a fortune more in the long run. This is particularly true if you're from an average middle class family. In that situation, you don't get particularly favorable loan terms relative to some students. It's better to pay those school payments in advance than worry about finding a loan to pay them.

Assuming you're truly motivated to find that job then it's time to get started. If you're not motivated then you might as well stop. I'm serious. I won't tell anyone. I completely understand not wanting a job. Just don't waste your time trying to fool yourself.

It's Not What You Know

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It's the most over-reported secret of getting a job. You've probably heard the old phrase at least a hundred times already in your life. “It's not what you know. It's who you know.” This is particularly true when you're looking to get your first job.

The easiest way to get a job (especially a good one,) is to know someone. Companies don't like hiring random people off the street. They know that anyone they hire can end up costing a whole lot of money if they don't work out. That makes it a whole lot easier for a company to focus on hiring people that they have more information on.

If you know a hiring manager then that's absolutely ideal. Talk to that person and be direct that you're looking for a job. If you're polite, qualified, and not picky, you'll have a good chance of finding a job.

Of course, most of us don't know a hiring manager. That's alright though. Even knowing a regular employee at a company can get you the leg up for an interview. Talk to friends that have jobs and ask if they can help you get a job at their company. Oftentimes, one recommendation from a well-liked employee will get you in the place for an interview.

This might seem a little odd but it's general policy for most companies in the world.

Don't know anyone? Well, it's not the end of the world. It just becomes a little more challenging.

Don't Be Picky

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I mentioned these three words in the previous section and I hope you noticed them. They're one of the most important factors you need to keep in mind looking for a summer job. I'm sorry but most of the jobs you're going to be able to get, aren't all that awesome. I know you don't want to have to be a fast food employee but, sometimes, you gotta do it.

Getting the first job is the hardest part. Once you have a job and leave a good impression, you have significantly more friends with jobs, and a much more attractive application for other jobs.

The more picky you get, the more impossible you make the whole situation. Unfortunately, most people aren't going to be able to distinguish how awesome you are without some kind of a work history backing it up. To get that work history, you sometimes have to compromise.

Don't only focus on not being picky with your job choices though. You also want to be open for anything in the actual job. The interviewer might ask how many hours a week you're available to work. If you say, ten or five, you're going to be way less attractive than if you said, as much as you need me. If they ask if you have a position preference then you can say one but make it clear you're looking to get your foot in the door. (After they find out how amazing you are you can leverage yourself where you want to be.)

Finding a summer job can be a great way to keep your mind active during the summer. While most students sit around and look for the most thoughtless forms of entertainment, you'll be working your brain in unique and powerful ways. That pays off more than with your paycheck. It also helps you become a better prepared student in the future.

Do you want to know how Yoda would teach you to study? Be sure to follow this blog and check out my books on the subject.

How Much Did Your School Year Suck?

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The biggest mistake a person can make is evading reality. When most students finish their school year they instantly try to forget all of the unpleasant school year memories. They try to forget the tests they disappointed themselves on and the mistakes they made. That's understandable but don't let yourself lose sight of reality in all this.

The people that fail in life are not the people that make mistakes. In fact, the vast majority of your life is going to be mistakes. Outside of schooling, mistakes are the expected norm. The successes often come in small doses. You'll end up thinking, “Well... That failed almost completely but... this one part of it worked.” Then you can build off of that single small bit of success you find. (Sometimes you won't even find a shred of success.)

There is nothing wrong with making mistakes. In fact, you should be more worried when you don't make any mistakes. When you don't make any mistakes you have to wonder if you're not looking at the situation right, or if you're settling for too low a standard. If you're just blind to your own failure then, objectively, you'll never know how to improve. If you don't care to increase your standards, you better hope the world doesn't leave you behind.

Worse than all of those decisions is the following decision I'm going to describe. This is how the vast majority of people manage their life. Students are certainly not the only sufferers of this decision. When this decision is made it completely eliminates any potential progress from life.

OoOoOohhh SHINY THINGS!

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At the end of the school year the average student doesn't even think about how well their school year went. Since they passed their courses, they no longer think twice about how the courses went. It's summer and they suddenly have way more important things to think about. For the most part, I agree with that. The problem comes when students don't spend any time reviewing their own school year.

It can seem so easy to spend a couple hours thinking about it but most students still try to distract themselves through video games or conversations with friends. I can't speak for every student but I can remember exactly why I didn't like to think about my school year growing up.

I hated school. I despised every day I was forced into it. Early on at least, I did not care about any of it. I hated being ordered around by teachers. I hated being judged by other students. I hated that they forced me to do more work when I got home. To put it simply, I hated it.

When summer came, the last thing I wanted to do was think about the suffering I endured all year. I wanted to pretend that it never even happened. I wanted to imagine none of the teachers, non-friend students, or faculty even existed. I did that through drowning myself in programming, writing, and video games.

I refused to acknowledge the emotions I was forced through. I did everything I could to forget it. (Repression anyone?) To process any of the school year, I had to process this first. It was quite painful for me and I can't even say I had it all that bad. This might be painful for you too but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

The problem with not acknowledging something is that you can never actually deal with it. When you don't review your school year, you will never be able to improve the results your getting significantly. Eventually, for me, the decision to start preparing for class appropriately wasn't a subtle and easy decision. It was a harsh look back at the poor decisions I made in the past about it. No, I didn't fall for all the victim shaming that teachers do but I looked at myself and asked “When I'm subjected to things I don't approve of, am I going to make the best of it?”

Looking back at my life before that, I wasn't making the best of it. I would ignore an assignment until the day it was due. Then I'd struggle to finish it in time. Then I'd get a subpar grade and feel ashamed of it. That is not a rational way to deal with the situation. It just brings suffering on both ends. I came to realize that I either needed to stop caring about my grades or start treating my grades like something I care about.

If I stopped caring about my grades, my grades might suffer but I would at least be following my opinion. If I cared about my grades, I wouldn't actually put it off until the last second because that would be like caring about a dog and not feeding it until it was starving. That's insane. It's not the way to worry about something.

Making The Hard Decisions

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While most of your teachers, parents, and role models will give you the old, “Stay in school” mantra, I've always found it a bit insulting. If you're old enough to read this then you're old enough to know the repercussions of your decisions. Most people encourage you to avoid even thinking about this logically. They just want you to follow their directions. Following their direction is easy but it won't encourage you to improve your grades or live better.

At the end of the school year, ask yourself, are you happy with how your school year went?

If not then something needs to change. When you're looking for something to change, don't rule out anything without thinking about it first. Does that mean you should consider dropping out if you're old enough? Yes. I think it's a mistake in most cases but NEVER forget that you're the person in control of your life (you are also the one that will suffer the consequences.) When you rule out this possibility, you just encourage yourself to ignore logical options.

Why would you do this?

Because when you go back to the school, you're going to know you're making that decision for the right reasons. If you're making that decision for the right reasons then it's a whole lot easier to convince yourself to study. (You're going to be there hours a day. You might as well get what you can from it.)

I know... your teachers are going to hate me for saying this but your life is only your life when you make your own decisions. Look at the school year you had honestly. Ask yourself what you want to change and then look at the various ways to do it. Don't ignore other people's advice but don't blindly follow it either.

Are you ready to step up and make the best of the time you're in school? Be sure to check a couple of my books out to learn how to make that happen.

Is College Harder Than High School?

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The common culture surrounding college is a bit like a rhinoceros with a peg leg. It just doesn't make much sense. Depending on the source you're going to, college is either, an awesomely fun opportunity to get drunk and party or the most stressful time of your academic career.

The media is always spreading this perception of college as a fun place to go and do fun things. Naturally, it tends to ignore the boring parts about that little “going to class thing,” because it's not particularly entertaining. All they portray is the good stuff (or two seconds of a person stressing out as they try to study.) That's obviously not a very balanced perspective of college life.

High school teachers tend to give the exact opposite impression. They'll lecture students constantly about having to prepare for college. “Well... you can slack off now but you MIGHT NOT BE PREPARED FOR COLLEGE,” they'll tell you with a tone that sounds like your mother not-so-subtly hinting that you should do something. Many students that pay attention closely to these lectures start to think that college is some crazy rigorous academic boot camp. This view of college is just as insane as the media's image.

The Real Difficulty of College

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Is it academically harder? Well... I'll get to that but this is absolutely essential to understand first.

The hardest part of college for most student's is adjusting to regular everyday life. During high school, most students have parents that coddle them and offer help whenever they need it. Most students don't concern themselves with laundry, or shopping for groceries, or dinner, or anything mildly related to maintaining a home. Most don't even know how to maintain a schedule. This is where most students fall short (even if they blame their grades.)

The students that are used to doing their own laundry, buying groceries, and paying their own bills don't have nearly as many problems in college. Staying in high school 6 hours a day makes doing all those things a major challenge. If you're used to doing them through high school then college for 3 or 4 hours of class a day is a breeze.

Even the students that think they're struggling because of social pressures, or time limitations, or course challenges are really just talking about the consequence of their failure to manage their own daily life. One of the most common example's of this uses time as the excuse. Many students that fail blame their lack of time. They say they don't have enough time in their day to get the work done. That's usually complete crap. Those students usually just haven't learned to manage their own schedule right. Instead of planning for work in advance, students spend hours doing things that only feel like necessities because they haven't planned right.

When you're going to college, the most important factor you need to consider is your non-academic life. That will be where you succeed or fail. You need to learn how to set priorities in your daily life. There will be some days when you need to make tough decisions. That's generally a sign that you need to reassess what you're really looking for out of your time. You can't do everything you want. Make sure you decide on what you do consciously instead of stumbling through it.

Academic Challenge

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Many teachers make college sound like it's an unbelievably challenging environment. That is, typically, wildly untrue. Most colleges don't accept students on merit unless they're absolutely qualified and capable of competing with the academic workload. With that in mind, it does make some difference.

If you're going to a typical state university then you're probably not going to struggle with the actual academics of your courses. The challenges you will face should be close to right in line with going through high school. If you manage your life properly then you will not need all-nighters to get great grades.

If you're going to a less typical college with high standards (MIT, etc.) then you're going to probably end up struggling more. The word struggling might be a little harsher than required. Generally, you won't struggle because, if you've been accepted you're probably, again, right in line with where you should be academically. That being said, the pace is not going to be the same as a state university. That means you'll probably need to manage yourself a whole lot better than a regular college student.

If you're a good student through high school then you should have absolutely nothing to worry about academically going into college.

(I know. This belief is completely counter to the mainstream messages but it's true.)

People love to make things sound more challenging than they are.

Teachers don't want to say, “Yea. College is a breeze.” That will not motivate high school students into working hard for great grades. In a little more insulting, but no less true perspective: Most education major applicants don't get rejected from schools. That means, unfortunately, there are more “less well-endowed” teachers intellectually. (Of course, that's not all of them. It's just more likely they find it challenging than some other majors.)

People that fail to graduate from college often announce horror stories about the challenges but they're also wildly biased. No one wants to admit that they are solely responsible for their own failure to graduate from college. That leaves them blaming the college instead.

Don't believe the hype. College isn't all that bad... Unless...

Personal College Torture

You don't have to struggle through college but many students do end up adding to their own personal challenges unnecessarily.

College is not guaranteed to be a breeze.

No one should go into college expecting to get perfect or even nearly perfect scores. I know, it's possible but it's an absolutely insane waste of time and energy. Students that spend too much energy trying to perfect everything are the same students that end up driving themselves nuts and hating their lives in the process. Don't fall into that trap.

For typically good students, college is as difficult as you make it. If you require a 99 or 100 score to be happy then you're going to need to study all-day, and everyday to be “happy.” In most cases, studying that much will take away your happiness anyway.

Great grades aren't the only way a student can end up drowning in their own workload though.

Some majors are not appropriate for some students. I know, it's not something anyone likes to admit but it's true. A student that hates math IS going to struggle to get an engineering degree. A student that hates English is going to hate getting an English degree. This should make sense to most people.

If you don't like a subject then don't do it! It's not an investment if you're setting yourself up for a life you'll absolutely hate. I'm not one of those “do only what you love” people but really, don't do what you hate and expect not to struggle.

It goes farther than that though.

Medical (and a few other majors) are notoriously difficult. While most students that don't hate the major can survive the course load, don't expect to dominate everything in one of those competitive majors. That's just asking for disappointment.

So... college is appropriately harder than high school but don't stress out about it. It's right in line with the next level of your education. The hardest part is managing your personal life. If you can take care of that then your academic life is going to be no more challenging than high school.

(Oh... and the parties are never as fun as they look on TV.)

Want to be prepared to kick-ass through college? Be sure to check out my books.

5 Reasons You Shouldn't Be Worrying About Your Finals Scores

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I recently received a email from a student that I found terribly depressing. If I had a glass of water I would have splashed him in the face with it. Heck, if I was in his general region I'd go out of my way to slap him for thinking this way. “SNAP OUT OF IT!” I'd scream.

This student spent his email talking about how terrible he thought he did on his finals. He was absolutely convinced that he bombed. He found the idea of waiting for the test scores dreadful. Now... I sympathize with worrying about a test score but in this case, I could make an exception...

Why couldn't I sympathize with him? Because this student is someone I've talked to a boatload of times already. I know him to be an A student. Really... he didn't bomb.

So... if you're suffering as you wait for your finals scores to be announced. Keep these five things in mind:

1. Good Students Have A Buffer

If you're the kind of student that's worried about your finals score then you're probably the kind of student with a buffer. If you're a B or higher student then you probably could completely fail your finals and still get a passing grade. If you're a C student then you probably would still need to fail pretty bad on the finals for a fail in the course.

If you're a D student... Yea... Sorry... Can't help you there. This is one of the reasons you need to treat the rest of the school year so well. It makes the end of the school year a whole lot easier to manage.

But seriously, the vast majority of students stressing out about their finals scores are the same students that have nothing to worry about. A few points are not the end of the world. Worrying is just going to do more harm than good.

If you absolutely need to then just look at your class information and try to figure out what you'll score if you completely bombed it. Usually, you'll find that the worst case scenario isn't the end of the world. (If you find out otherwise then make sure to kiss the ones you love goodbye. Oh... and take out tons of loans.)

2. It's All Over

Despite that knot hanging around in your stomach, there is absolutely nothing you can do about your finals scores after you take your finals. (Short of bribery.) You've taken the test. The moment is over.

Stress is meant to help you prepare for things in the future. When the test has been taken, the stress is not telling you to worry about that test score. It's telling you that you need to learn one of two lessons. Either, you need to prepare better for your finals in the future. Or... You need to learn to relax a little bit after the moments over.

Learn your lesson and move on with the more important things in your life.

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3. The Pleasantly Surprised Principle

The vast majority of students worry, at least a little, about their final's scores. I've worked with tons of students and just about everyone of them holds some kind of inking of doubt after a major test. That's completely natural. Students like to prepare for the worst. That could even be a good thing. There is one thing that I learned from all this though. I call it “The Pleasantly Surprised Principle.”

The students that worry about their test scores usually end up pleasantly surprised. The students that don't worry about their test scores can go either way.

Worrying is a sign that you value your test scores. The fact that you value your test scores suggests you are the kind of student that prepares appropriately for your tests. That means, you're probably going to end up pleasantly surprised after all this.

4. Lessons To Learn

If you're actually completely convinced you failed the test then you have a more important reason to relax a little. By this, I'm not just talking about a little worried. I'm talking about, if you took the test and had to guess completely on most of the questions. In this case, you have very good reason to be concerned.

When you bomb a test completely, it probably means you were terribly prepared for the test. That even goes for those of you saying you're just a terrible test taker. Terrible test taking can cause major problems but it's not the sole cause of bombing any test.

You're worrying because you have a problem that you need to solve. You need to figure out why you bombed the test (not just excuses) and solve that problem. If you don't you're going to be stuck with this same nasty feeling in your stomach every year for the rest of school.

(This blog may be able to help. Check out the articles.)

5. IT'S SUMMER!

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Seriously... Don't you dare waste the beautiful weather. You'll have plenty of time to worry about your finals later. School means absolutely nothing compared to the time you have. This summer you're being offered one of the greatest gifts in life. (When you get a full time job you'd kill for a summer off.) Enjoy it.

School will still be there in a few months. Good news or bad news, you're still going to be able to get those grades recovered from. What you can't ever do, is get the time you waste back.

Does that mean you should drop the books and learning and hang outside until your skin burns to a crisp? No, but make sure you save at least a little time for doing the things that you love. Don't let the stress of the school year ruin all of your summer.

So... Relax a little. You're worrying now is not going to change anything about your finals scores (assuming they're over!) Be sure to check out this blog regularly and maybe even get one of my books on studying faster.

7 Reasons To Study All Summer Long

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Back when I was in high school you couldn't drag me by my ankles back into a book during summer break. I officially shut down shop in my brain. I wouldn't think about school one time until months later. I still completely understand the pleasures of never thinking about school. The months of summer can be awfully fun but...

College is the time when I learned the errors in my ways. In an attempt to graduate from college early, I consistently took summer classes. That led to me spending virtually the whole year studying for school. It wasn't until then that I started to realize how valuable that actually is. In fact, it's so valuable that even after graduation I kept it up.

1. Habits Make Life Easy

There is an old joke that 99% of the time is a challenge, 100% of the time is easy.

Until you start living it, you don't understand how true that statement is. When you study consistently, it's easy to pick up a textbook. It's just a habit that you've strengthened for years. It feels completely natural. If you're like most students, picking up a textbook is more like trying to saw your arm off with a butter knife (painful and boring.)

Summer break can kills your study habits. If you have a good study habit then summer can completely ruin it for you. Make your life easy and keep studying at least a few minutes everyday.

2. Time For Subjects You Love

During the school year, studying subjects that you want to study can become a challenge. When you enjoy a subject, you tend to learn it faster than other subjects. Given the choice between studying a school subject you're not great at or a subject you love, you probably should pick the school subject you're not great at to help your grades. Summer gives you the chance to flip that upside down.

Life rewards you for the things that you're really good at. Use summer to study and get good with the things that you really love. You can maintain the habit of studying while enjoying the process of it a whole lot more than during the school year.

3. Remember What You Learned

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Summer break causes most students to forget about a third of what they learned during the previous school year. That is not a good thing. All this information is information that you'll need to relearn at the beginning of the next school year. Studying a little bit through summer can help your brain retain the information that it's learned easier.

Holding onto the information you learned from the year before is one of the easiest ways to get ahead for the next school year. While most students will be struggling to remember what they should know, you'll be focusing on the new material.

4. Experimentation

During the school year, it can be tough to practice new and better ways of studying. You can't risk using a new study method on a big test you have coming up without a little hesitation. If it doesn't work then your grades may suffer the consequences. That's why you want to do tons of study experiments during summer break.

Summer break is the perfect time to try studying in a different method than usual. Most of the study tricks you'll try won't do all that much for your grades but every once in a while you'll find something that dramatically increases your recall. That's the kind of thing that can turn B's into A's for a whole school year to come.

5. Getting Ahead In Life

Why do you try to get good grades in school? If you're like most students, somewhere in the answer to this question you'll mention that you want to get ahead in life.

One of the best ways to get ahead in life is to spend the time most people spend watching television learning new stuff. The more you're willing to dedicate your life to real learning (not school learning) the farther you're going to be able to get.

Spending time studying when you don't have to is an option you're going to be given for your whole life. The people that choose to put in that extra work will be getting the benefits of it. Everyone else will just be living the status quo.

6. Less Distractions

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Let's face it. There are going to be at least a few boring days throughout your summer. Sure, most of it is going to be a ton of fun but most of the time you'll have a couple hours everyday that you don't know what to do with. You certainly won't have schoolwork getting in your way.

It's a lot easier to study when you have plenty of time for it. Studying in a packed schedule is painful. Studying in an open schedule can be a little fun. Even if you weren't so good at studying during the previous school year, get in the habit of studying more while you don't have as many challenges.

7. It Can Be Fun

Yes... I know... I used the three letter word that annoying educators have been claiming for decades but I swear... there is some truth to it.

Studying for school sucks. I can't argue with that. I absolutely hated it most of my time in school. It feels like you're wasting your time learning stuff that you'll never use anyway.

Study outside of school is different. That's because you can control absolutely everything you spend your time on. You don't have to worry about failing a test during summer. You get to study for the sake of studying. You can pick when you study it too.

This completely changes the study equation over time. Take note of the words: over time. It takes a little bit of time but soon you'll wonder how you lived without a regular study time during your day. It's a unique pleasure that very few people learn to appreciate.

So... have I convinced you to pick up a subject you love and start studying? Remember, the hardest part with anything is getting started. Once you get going, it will come easier and easier over time.

Do you want to stay sharp for school and learn to kick-ass without sacrificing all your free time to do it? Be sure to follow this blog and check out my books.

7 People You Don't Want In Your Study Group

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It wasn't until I realized that he was picking the dirt from under his nails with a paper clip that I realized I made a big mistake. I've never been a huge fan of studying in groups. That has nothing to do with the results though. Studying in groups can provide amazing results. There is nothing like a little social pressure to improve your focus on studying but there is one major challenge that I've had to face virtually every time I tried to study in groups.

Most people are not good at studying. Really... studying in a group with certain kinds of people will do nothing but limit your ability to learn. You need to know to avoid certain kinds of people in your study groups. In most cases, given the choice between studying in a group with one of these people, or studying alone, you should pick alone. At least you can predict your results when you're studying alone.

Here are the 7 people you don't want in your study group:

1. The Story Teller

No... I love people that can tell a good story too but that has nothing to do with studying. I can remember one of my study groups spending 20 minutes listening to this one guys story about this night he was at a bar. Notice how miserably I tell that story? That means I'm the kind of guy you want in your study group.

You cannot let your study group get distracted by stories that aren't related to the study material. Good story tellers are fun to listen to but if they can't restrain their story telling through study time then you're not going to get any studying done.

2. The Gossiper

If someone says even two words about an ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend during the study time then you might as well leave. I'm sure you can recognize a gossiper. When someone gossips they're showing that they have absolutely no interest in the material being discussed. More importantly, it can drag everyone else out of the study material as well. (Well... when they tell you what they think, you gotta tell them what you think... It's a dangerous slope.)

3. Answer-It-All

Don't mistake an answer-it-all for the classic know-it-all. The answer-it-all has very little connection to that. A know-it-all knows the answer to every question being asked. That is not necessarily a bad addition to the study group. An answer-it-all thinks they know the answer to every question being asked and insist on proving it to everyone else in the group.

If there is anyone in your group that answers all the questions being asked without letting anyone else have a turn then you've gotta get away from them. Study groups need to offer everyone in the group the chance to answer questions. Hogging the questions is no different than hogging anything else.

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4. The Hopeless

“There is no way I'm going to pass this...”

“I'm totally going to fail.”

“This is soooo hard...”

Imagine it's one of these lines being said by someone with a horribly depressed face. Some people feel the need to express their lack of confidence at every chance they get. Now... we all feel that way sometimes. Heck, we probably even express it but it doesn't help anyone get anywhere.

Expressing a lack of confidence hurts everyone in the study group. When one person feels hopeless they drag everyone else down with them. It doesn't matter how right they are about the challenges of the test. No one needs more insecurity. One of the biggest advantages of a study group is the projected confidence of the group. A confident study group is a productive one.

5. Too Cool To Study

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Some people are more worried about looking good than passing the test. They go to the study groups just to hang out with friends and maybe... occasionally... remember a thing or two. These people are poison for a study group.

First of all, they're terribly disruptive to real studying. They're generally pretty polite with the whole format but they'll still break character and have unrelated conversations whenever they feel like it.

That isn't all that deadly but it is disruptive. The biggest problems come when you get two or three of these people in a study group. A once productive study group turns into a social gathering with the occasional person trying to ignore conversation while they try to study.

You're there to study. Make sure the people you're with have that on their mind too.

6. Give Me Perfection Or Give Me Death

While people that don't care much about improving their grades are bad, you also don't want people that always need perfection in your study group. These are the kinds of people that get 99's and cry about it.

People are not machines designed to learn everything and anything. They have limitations and that's okay. People that can't accept that project their neuroses with them everywhere they go. You don't want those neuroses spreading to everyone else in your study group. There is an appropriate amount of stress to have for a test. Don't let those that could pull a train with the knots in their neck study with you.

7. People You Hate

I've tried studying with people I don't like too many times. (I don't like many people. Eventually it became sort of a necessity. That's, sadly, partly true.) It offers some advantages to your study time. Specifically, when you're dealing with someone you don't like in your study group, you don't need to worry about mindless friendly conversation distracting you. Both people know why they're their and stick to the subject.

That doesn't make up for the pre-studying problem though. When your study group involves people you don't like, you're going to have to force yourself to go. You'll need to discipline yourself to follow through despite thinking, “I really don't want to see that person again...”

It's okay to study only with people you like.

Notice how difficult it is to find people that are good for a study group? You'll find that 9 out of 10 people fit into one of these categories. That's generally why I never enjoyed any long term study groups. They're absolutely amazing when they work but you need to find and hold onto the people you want in your study group. To those not inclined to do it, that can be a real challenge.

Do you want to learn how to study faster than ever?

Check out my books on the subject.

Don't Use Your Computer To Study For Class!

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I know... I sound like a technology hating idiot. Computers are an amazing way to increase your ability to learn anything. The point of this article is certainly not as simple as the title might make it sound. I have absolutely nothing against using a computer to study but there are a few individual factors that need to be watched out for.

In my experience, when student's use their computer to study for a class they hit a very similar wall because of 3 different factors. These factors make studying significantly more challenging than it has to be. Students are forced to study hours longer because they're missing some of the most powerful aspects of studying.

Your Computer Is A Time Death Trap

Take note of the word “Your.”

Using your own personal computer to study is usually a bad idea. The average student's computer today is buried with significantly more interesting things to do than studying. You could play computer games. You could talk on your instant messenger. You can check your Facebook. All of these activities are significantly more fun than studying.

Your personal computer can easily eat away your study time with hundreds of non-studying distractions. Even if you don't indulge in those distractions, your brain can still lose some of its focus worrying about it. You're always fighting an uphill battle.

There are many solutions to this. Many students try to solve this by having two computers. One is exclusively used for schoolwork while the other is the one they kill most of their time on. That can work but it still takes some discipline to not turn it into two personal entertainment computers. You might hear your brain start trying to rationalize stupid things like, “Well... I need a messenger installed on this in case I need to talk to friends to help studying...” Oh no... Don't play that dangerous game because you'll never win. Proceed with caution if you plan on getting a second computer.

Another solution to using your own computer is using a different computer. Ideally, you could use a computer at school or in a library. This makes it much easier to focus on the actual studying that you need to do. The main challenge is that you can't install specific programs on these computers.

Using your own computer to study is possible but it makes studying an unpleasant act of discipline. Make it easy by removing the possible distractions.

The Class Is Not The Internet

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One of the most common mistakes people make with studying on their computer is losing focus on their classes specific material. There is an unlimited amount of valuable information about just about any subject on the internet. That makes it an amazing place to learn tons of information. But... learning tons of information is not the point of your class.

Classes are designed to teach you very specific sets of information. That information is what your teachers focus on teaching you. It's also what you're going to be tested on. If you spend two hours reading scholarly articles on the internet about the subject you're supposed to study, you will learn a ton of information. That's great but that has absolutely nothing to do with class. You can read those articles, learn the information, and still miserably fail the test because the information in those articles isn't the information that they wanted you to learn.

Yes... This is a fairly shallow mechanism for schools to try to teach you but it's the mechanism you have to keep in mind. They do not care how much you learn. They care if you learn what they want you to learn. While studying a subject online, don't try to fool yourself into thinking you're studying for your big test. You're just doing it for fun (or masochism.)

The saddest part about this whole situation is that you will learn better for class off the internet despite learning more on the internet.

Why You Should Use The Internet To Learn

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The amazing thing about the internet is how easily you can cater the information to a style that you're interested in. If you have to learn about the assassination of President Lincoln then you have tons of options. You can search it on the web. You can find documentaries about it to watch. You can read articles about it. You can find conspiracy theories if that's your thing. You can find humorous comic strips. All of these sources can teach you some information (some less than others,) and you can focus on the ones that work best for your personal preference.

You might absolutely hate reading about mathematics in a textbook but kind of enjoy watching someone showing you how to do it. With the internet you can find that.

The internet is amazing for learning because it gives you almost exactly what you are interested in finding. If you're actually interested in something then your able to learn it significantly more naturally than any forced class learning.

Learning is not studying though. Don't think that studying your Lincoln's assassination for class will be as effective online as using your specific class materials. While you can use it to peak your interest in a subject, never fool yourself into thinking your studying. While I'm not a fan of textbooks, use them if you have to. The ideal source for studying is usually specific notes (or video or audio) of the lectures.

Teacher's intentionally layout their courses to focus on the tests. The lectures are your chance to hear what's important coming straight from the horse's mouth (Did I just call your teacher a horse?). The vast majority of teachers repeat virtually everything that's important on their tests. Listening to what they emphasize means more than any textbook or internet search for your grade.

The future of education has absolutely nothing to do with the strategy I'm teaching you. Everyone knows that the current school system is completely outdated and ineffective. Someday, hopefully, students will be able to focus more on learning the subjects that they naturally love. That will allow them to learn more than ever.

That day is not today! Remember that. Their goal is not to teach you. Their goal is to teach you specific sets of information.

Technology is an amazing tool but it's an amazing tool that can be used for studying or entertainment. That means you have to watch out for the way you are using it. In most cases, I recommend not using your personal computer for studying. (There are scenarios where it's practical but everyone assumes they're the exception.) Use an alternative computer that requires less actual discipline to stay focused.

Getting amazing grades doesn't require that you drown yourself in pages of textbooks. It also doesn't require hours of your time everyday. That's what this blog is all about. If you want to learn more of the secrets to studying faster than ever then be sure to follow this blog and keep up.